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Deviljho Ecology
In-Game Information The dreaded, nomadic Deviljho have no specific territory of their own. Their muscles swell if provoked, revealing old wounds. Needing to feed constantly due to high body heat, they can hunt nearby animals to extinction. Taxonomy Order:Saurischia- Suborder:Theropod- Infraorder:Unknown- Superfamily:Violent Wyverns- Family:Devil. Deviljho are Brute Wyverns, and unarguably the strongest and most tenacious of the group. The volcano-dwelling Uragaan and Brachydios, forest devouring Duramboros and the bog-dwelling Barroth are other well-known members. Brute Wyverns are characterized by a bipedal gait, small, near-useless forearms, huge bodies and large heads equipped with powerful jaws that can tear through the thick hides of it's prey. Habitat Range Deviljho inhabit every environment found in the New World apart from the ones with elder dragons. They're extremely adaptable, able to survive both the bitter cold of the tundra and scalding heat of the volcano, but they rarely stay in one place for long, as the impact their predation has on the indigenous herbivore (and carnivore) populations is enough to destroy entire ecosystems. It is speculated that they constantly roam between habitats in search of prey. Ecological Niche The Deviljho easily assert themselves as "Super Predators" in any conceivable habitat they find themselves and are challenged by little, apart from other Deviljho, Wyverns, and Elder Dragons. The long-ago healed gashes visible in their sides suggest that they constantly engage in titanic battles against creatures both as vicious, powerful, and sizable as themselves, such as the heavily armored Uragaan, the lava-dwelling Leviathan Agnaktor, the "King of the Skies" Rathalos, the "Lord of the Seas" Lagiacrus, etc. These battles, of course, are simply due to the local monsters' defense of their turf, as the Deviljho prefer to feast on the more abundant and defenseless population of herbivores. Even so, they remain both large and powerful enough to dominate a large percentage of its encounters, minor or major. They're both carnivores and scavengers; they will ravenously kill and eat herbivores such as Popo and Aptonoth (and possibly small Bird Wyverns, such as Great Jaggi or Great Baggi), but they won't pass up the opportunity on a free meal, and will thusly eat flesh from the remains of any monster, including its own kind. If it is hungrier than usual, it will hunt other Wyverns as well. Their diets are notoriously indiscriminate. In one case, a Deviljho was witnessed eating its own severed tail. In another case, a Deviljho was seen eating another of its kind'' alive''. This would prove that the Deviljho is a cannibal, suggesting that many young Deviljho don't reach adulthood, either preyed upon by predators or other Deviljho. In the sandy plains and Tundra, Deviljho and the fearsome Tigrex probably compete over territory and food. It can also be assumed that the Deviljho and the "Desert Tyrant" Diablos also engage in battles with each other, due to the extremely territorial and fearless nature of the Diablos. Due to the Diablos being an herbivore,one would think that the Deviljho would see the Diablos as prey, but this is unlikely, due to the fact that the Diablos is a powerful wyvern and could easily wound a Deviljho with it´s horns, which means battles between these creatures are more out of territorial behavior on the Diablos part, than predation on the Deviljho´s part, as Deviljho probably prefer easier prey like Aptonoth. Biological Adaptations Deviljho are endowed with heavy, powerful muscles, giving them the strength to overpower their prey. Their mouths are filled with rows upon rows of sharp, jagged teeth. This allows the beast to tear flesh from a victim with ease. This feature also allows them to attack from a distance, using their giant lower jaw as a crude shovel, they can fling boulder-sized clumps of earth at their quarry. Their eyes are small and simple, suggesting their vision is rather poor, but their other senses such as smell may compensate for this. Their tails are long and powerful, but their main feature of note is its breath attack - at will they can breathe from their mouths a stream of a mysterious energy which inflicts Dragon Blight onto any hunter it comes in contact with. Deviljho have rapid healing abilities. If their muscles swell, the skin will be stretched and thinned to reveal the less flexible and tougher fibrous tissues, old scars. When enraged, almost all of their muscles swell and they become both faster and stronger. At this point, old battle scars become visible on the outer membrane of their skin. During this time, the muscles (now swollen) are tougher than they would be otherwise, but the underside of their stomachs become more susceptible to attack. In cases where a particularly strong Deviljho specimen has gone a prolonged period without food, its weakened body begins to undergo a paradoxical change; its muscles swell up as if it were constantly enraged, it begins to generate a greater amount of the strange black and red energy that it breathes out, and its body begins to produce massive amounts of adrenaline. When in this state, the Deviljho's already titanic strength and respectable speed increase dramatically, and it becomes completely consumed by its unrelenting hunger. Though this adaptation greatly shortens the amount of time that the Deviljho can go before it ultimately succumbs to its hunger, it also gives it the raw power and savage drive that it needs to easily overtake and consume many of the otherwise territorial predators that may live in its current habitat. Furthermore, when provoked to rage while in this state, the draconic energy that it normally breathes from its mouth in order to ward off potential rivals begins to pour out from the exposed muscles in its neck and head, shrouding all but its eyes which begin to glow bright red and are able to shine through. The reason for this adaptation is unknown, but any hunter encountering a Deviljho in this state is advised to retreat as quickly as possible and inform the guild immediately. Like many other Brute Wyverns, the Deviljho posesses a pair of short, stubby arms. These arms serve no discernable function and are likely atrophied evolutionary hold-overs. Any defensive or offensive duties are taken by it's muscular tail and powerful jaws. Behavior Deviljho are highly aggressive, eating everything that can fit into their mouths and fighting to the death with almost everything they come across. Little is known about the creatures' mating rituals and even less on how they raise their young. Only a few young Deviljho managed to reach its adulthood as they are under constant threat of being predated by larger monsters, including other Deviljho. Though this may seem cruel, this ensures the survival of the species as whole; the stronger, hardier offspring have a greater chance of surviving to full maturity. However, not much is known about the Deviljho's parental instincts (assuming it has any), as very few people are brave (or stupid) enough to get anywhere close to a Deviljho's nest. Wether due to their indescriminate appetites or their generally aggressive nature, Deviljho exist as solitary antisocial predators, relying on their size and ferocity to bring down prey and defend themselves. Rarely, if ever are more than one Deviljho seen together and such an encounter is likely to end in combat to the death. This behavior suggests a highly territorial predator that does not tollerate the existance of any rival for potential food sources that the Brute Wyvern's insatiable appetite craves. Warning Some variations of Deviljho size have been reported by senior hunters. If we assume the Deviljho is a reptile, as its appearance suggests, then we can also assume that it will continue to grow as it ages. These reports may suggest Deviljho that have reached ages far beyond the reach of any normal human. These Deviljho should be avoided unless the hunter is of a very high rank, and they are prepared for a vicious battle. It has been speculated that if a Deviljho were to reach this size, not only would its appetite increase, but it may also have the capability to destroy the whole ecosystem of any region. These "super" Deviljho have only rarely been spotted on the Deserted Island, possibly due to its tropical climate and abundance of prey items. Hunter's Encyclopedia The following information is a rough translation from the Hunter's Encyclopedia 3. :"A huge Brute Wyvern species that constantly wanders from one area to another, looking for prey. There are features and characteristics that gave the Deviljho a very brute character, and also because of these traits, The alias "Feared-Dragon" was given to it. It was also reported that it can prey the creatures around the region to extinction. Because of it's high metabolism and body heat, Deviljho is in constant search for a food source (Leading it to live a nomadic lifestyle). It can live to almost every ecosystem, From the Hellish volcano, to the Frozen Tundra" : :"When the Deviljho receives enough damage, Most of it's body muscles swell into reddish, inflated muscles, revealing scars caused by previous battles against other monsters the Deviljho engaged with. It is said that the pain and damage caused by the violence during the battle further increases the plumpness and strength of its brutish body muscles. It is also known to breathe a strange substance similar to that of the Dragon element, which causes dragon blight." : :"Deviljho have strong jaws and sharp teeth to crush the hard shell of large monsters. Deviljho is characterized by a number of fangs growing from its chin. Using its jaw, it can shovel into the ground and also hurl rocks this way. Of course, it is also used to prey on other monsters." : :"Deviljho, are complete carnivores, and will prey on all living things from small sized hervibores to large sized monsters. Because they are not tied, to any particular ecosystem, they seem to migrate on instinct, constantly searching on prey. Deviljho maintains a consistently high body temperature along with its large size, therefore it expands a lot of energy. Predatory activity must be high to supply itself with energy, but its appetite is something that is far beyond imagination. In the past, the number of all living things in one area were drastically reduced to the verge of extinction, as reports came in that it was the result of Deviljho's predation. A Deviljho tends to accumulate fatigue rather easily, and hunger is quick to follow. Once it succumbs to fatigue, the saliva will settle in, and then its predatory activities begin. Its drool is said to contain special ingredients which softens the shell and skin of its prey. There are many details about its ecology that are unknown and it is still unclear to how they breed, or if there are any sexual differences." Category:Monster Ecology